One More Beat of the Drum
by DragonQueen103
Summary: A year ago, Corey pushed it too far. And they left. All three of them. Now Corey's reached breaking point and wants to end it all. All he wanted was one more beat of the drum…


**Hello internet! I haven't written a one-shot for a while, but I needed to get this out of my system. In short, I read too many depressing fan-fics today and I needed to write my own, just to get over it. But don't worry, there won't be too many of these, I prefer happier stuff. Enjoy!**

* * *

One more step. That's all it took.

All he had to do was step off his bed, and it was over.

Corey looked up at the rope, tied to the nail he hammered into the ceiling. The other end tied tightly around his neck.

Granted, Trina wouldn't care. She wouldn't care if Corey became ruler of the galaxy. And they wouldn't care… would they?

Of course not.

On this day, exactly one year ago, they left. Laney, Kin and Kon. What started as a simple argument lead to a full out war. Corey said some things that he never should have said, maybe the others did too, he'd never know.

But after he said he didn't need them, that his life would be amazing if they weren't in it…

Corey remembered it well.

FLASHBACK

_"So I guess that's all you ever thought of us!" Kin had screamed._

_"Just a step ladder for you to get higher!" Kon had roared._

_"Maybe we should just go!" Laney wailed, "Maybe then you'd be happy!"_

_Corey realised what he said, and what they were saying, "No! I didn't- don't go!"_

_"What happened to 'My life would be better without you'?!" Kin snapped._

_"I'm leaving!" Laney snarled, "And I'm never coming back!"_

_"Wait for us!" the twins yelled, walking outside with her._

_"Guys! Wait! I take it back! I'll do anything!" Corey pleaded._

_"Too late Riffin!" Kon yelled over his shoulder as the three of them walked away._

_Corey stood there, a tornado of emotions swirling in his head. Anger, sadness, frustration, regret…_

_"Just one more song?" he had whispered. His former bandmates too far away to hear him, "One more beat?" _

FLASHBACK OVER

The memory was old, but the pain was stronger than ever. Everywhere he looked, he was reminded of his ex-friends. His old beanie, dirty and covered in dust, was lying in a heap behind his door. He hadn't touched it since that day.

The groj had descended to ruin. The stage was crumbling, there was so much dust you couldn't breathe. His guitar, once his pride and joy, was dirty, broken and dusty. He hadn't played a note for a whole year.

Kon's old drum kit was cover by a white tarp. Kin's former keyboard was hidden under the decaying couch. Laney's ex-bass was still on the stand, covered by an old bed sheet. Corey couldn't bring himself to look at the instruments they left behind. Surely they would have replaced them by now.

His eyes drifted again to the rope. The rope he found underneath Trina's car. The item that would take away the pain.

Of course he'd faced death before. At the hands of Trina's demonic cat. But as he watched the laser getting closer and closer, he was certain he was going to live.

This time, he was certain he was going to die.

He closed his eyes, more certain now than he had ever been. He wanted to do it before he changed his mind.

As his eyes closed, he projected an image in his mind. The image of Grojband returning from their first successful gig. The twins had been ecstatic, Laney hadn't been able to stop smiling, and Corey couldn't stop talking about how that was only the beginning.

The twins, he would defiantly miss. Kin's uncanny intelligence, Kon's playful stupidity. All the good times they had together.

Laney, he would miss the most. He hadn't realised how much he loved her until she was gone, now she would never know.

But they were probably happy now. Living better lives without him. Nobody needed him anymore.

But still, he longed for one more word, one more laugh. One more beat of the drum, one more click of the keyboard, one more strum of the bass…

He lifted his foot, ready to take his final step.

* * *

Then he heard it. A single bang. A single bang of the drum.

He stopped, but didn't open his eyes or put his foot down.

There was another sound. A click. A click from a keyboard.

He slowly eased his foot back onto his bed, keeping his eyes closed.

One more sound. A strum. A strum from a bass.

Corey couldn't decide if his mind was playing tricks on him. But when there was another beat, then another, then a click, then two more, then a strum, then another. Until it all built up into a slow song beat. A song Corey knew well. He half expected his own voice to chime through, to sing the lyrics. He didn't even know if he could sing anymore, he hadn't done it for so long. But a voice did chime in, but not his voice.

**_Kon:_**_ If I could make it rain today  
And wash away this sunny day down to the gutter  
I would  
Just to get a change of pace  
Things are getting worse, but I feel a lot better  
And that's all that really matters to me_

**_Kin:_**_ Well, Corey hit the atmosphere  
Caught himself a rocket ride out of this gutter  
And he's never coming back I fear  
Anytime it rains he just feels a lot better  
And that's all that really matters to me  
_Corey couldn't believe it. Where they really down there? In the groj, making music like they used to?

**_All:_**_ We've waited so long  
For someone to take us back home  
It just takes so long  
Meanwhile all the days go drifting away  
And some of us sink like a stone  
Waiting for others to come  
__**Laney: **__There has to be a change I'm sure  
Today was just a day fading into another  
And that can't be what a life is for  
And anything he said well he feels a lot better  
And that's all that really matters to me  
_Corey was immediately filled with hope. He untied the rope, picked up his beanie and threw his door open, running to the groj, listening to the song.

**_All:_**_ We've waited so long  
For someone to take us back home  
It just takes so long  
Meanwhile all the days go drifting away  
And some of us sink like a stone  
Waiting for others to come_

_(Adapted from Amy hit the Atmosphere by Counting Crows) _

Corey burst into the groj. Laney, Kin and Kon were on the stage, tears in their eyes, playing their old instruments like they weren't a day out of practise.

Corey was crying too.

"Corey…" Laney tried to talk but she choked up before she could finish.

"Guys…" Corey couldn't say anything either.

A moment's silence.

"For Rock God's sake," Kon blurted out, "Come here, you blue-haired dork!"

Corey's face exploded into a smile and the old friends shared a group hug. Everyone was crying and laughing and apologising all at once. And in an instant, Corey was glad he didn't kill himself.

"Ok, guys, there's some things I need to say," Corey stammered.

"Anything Corey," Kin sniffled, "Tell us anything,"

Corey smiled, "I missed you all. I'm so, so sorry about what I said. My life lost everything when you left, I can't live without you. I'll do anything, anything at all, if you'd come back,"

The three teens looked at each other guiltily.

"Please? Can we be Grojband again?" Corey begged.

Laney smiled sadly, "You don't have to beg Core. We're sorry for walking out on you, we came to beg you to take us back,"

Corey wrapped Laney in a hug, "I'm sorry Laney, I should have realised sooner…"

He planted a big kiss on her lips. She kissed him back with almost no hesitation.

They parted for lack of oxygen and Corey managed to choke out, "I love you,"

"I love you too," Laney stammered back.

"Come on you two," Kin snickered, "We've got a lot of practise to catch up on!"

Corey let go and turned to the wall, flicking on the light switch and illuminating the groj. Still dusty, dirty and full of cobwebs, but it somehow seemed cleaner, less depressing now they were all there.

He turned to his friends smiling like the idiot he was, "Welcome home, Grojband!"

Laney, Kin and Kon smiled, "You know what?" Kon asked.

"What?" Kin replied.

"It's way to quite around here!" Laney finished.

Corey's smile hadn't faulted one bit, "Kon! Give me a beat!"

Kon sat behind the drums and began to play.

"Kin! Let's get some melody!"

Kin jumped behind the keyboard and played in time with his brother.

"And Laney! Let me hear that sweet, sweet bass!"

Laney picked up her bass and picked up the tune.

Corey snatched up his guitar and joined in, he never really forgot how to play.

And for the first time in twelve long months, the sound of four best friends jamming their hearts out, could be heard blaring from the groj.

* * *

**One more thing you need to know about me. ALL my stories, even the depressing ones, have a happy ending.**

**DQ out!**


End file.
